Apple on November 30 launched the iPadOS 17.1.2, iPadOS 17.1.2 and macOS Sonoma 14.1.2 updates, bringing security fixes for significant WebKit exploits.
To install iOS 17.1.2 and iPadOS 17.1.2 on your iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > General > Software Update. To update the operating system on your Mac, click and hold the System Settings icon in the Dock and choose Software Update.
Apple’s release notes for iOS 17.1.2, iPadOS 17.1.2 and macOS Sonoma 14.1.2 don’t reveal much about what’s new aside from mentioning that the updates provide “important bug fixes and security updates.”
A quick look at Apple’s page dedicated to security fixes reveals that iOS 17.1.2, iPadOS 17.1.2 and macOS 14.1.2 provide important fixes for a pair of vulnerabilities in WebKit, Safari’s rendering engine. People on older macOS versions like Monterey and Ventura can install Safari 17.1.2 to get the same fixes.
What’s new in iOS 17.1.2, iPadOS 17.1.2 and macOS 14.1.2
The first vulnerability may allow an attacker to obtain sensitive information by crafting malicious web content, which has been addressed with improved input validation. The second vulnerability could enable an attacker to create web content that might lead to arbitrary code execution. This is a memory corruption issue which was addressed with improved locking.
The company acknowledges that both issues may have been exploited in the wild. “Apple is aware of a report that this issue may have been exploited against versions of iOS before iOS 16.7.1,” it notes.
Apple credited Clément Lecigne of Google’s Threat Analysis Group for discovering both bugs. As WebKit is used to render all web content across Apple’s platforms, it’s pretty crucial that you install these updates as soon as possible.
Apple is also testing iOS 17.2, which will bring over a dozen new features across Apple Music, Messages, TV and other apps, including Apple’s new journaling software, Journal. iOS 17.2, iPadOS 17.2, watchOS 10.2, macOS Sonoma 14.2 and tvOS 17.2 will all be released in December.